The No Tool Zone

There hasn’t been anything this bad since Deliverology was presented to the California Education System or targets were advocated in the Indiana Education System and No Child Left Behind.  What’s next fire students from school or will we lower our standards to the point that everyone can hit the target (but the US can’t compete).  Apparently, the dolts that have introduced these “improvements” slipped through the US education system with education but no knowledge.

The system is broken from top to bottom.  By system I mean everything . . . the grading system, the standardized tests, No Child Left Behind, government officals, the design, technology, everything.  The firing of the teachers, administrators and counselors as a solution should be replaced by Arne Duncan and others responsible for this decision taking the reigns and showing us how to do it better without manipulating the targets or tests.  But this is political so anything can happen.

I grew up not a fan of unions as my father (an executive) ran a union picket line and was injured in the 1970s.  But I have come to realize that the worker (or teacher in this case) is critical and that the design and management of the work is our greatest opportunity for improvement.  In this case, the teachers represent the ones with knowledge to help improve the system. 

The attempt to make people accountable has led to this mess.  I don’t mind the accountability, but put the decision-making back with the work.  This system needs knowledge from teachers and experimentation with method not witch hunts.

Tripp Babbitt is a speaker, blogger and consultant to service industry (private and public).  His organization helps executives find a better way to make the work work.  Download free from www.newsystemsthinking.com “Understanding Your Organization as a System” and gain knowledge of systems thinking or contact us about our intervention services at info@newsystemsthinking.com.  Reach him on Twitter at www.twitter.com/TriBabbitt or LinkedIn at www.linkedin.com/in/trippbabbitt.